LINCOLNSHIRE, England (July 31, 2014)— Reputations counted for little on day four of the English Amateur, supported by abacus, at Saunton with three of the four surviving full internationals departing as those with lesser pedigree seized their chance to grab the spotlight.

None more so than Sean Blinkhorn, who ended Ryan Evans’ hopes with a 2 and 1 win. “This is a feather in my cap,” he said. “Ryan is one of the top lads in the England team and to his credit he complimented me on my game. “I failed to qualify narrowly last year at Frilford Heath and I just came here to see what I could do. I just wanted to qualify this time.”

Evans, who got out of jail in his morning match with Tom Gandy on the 19th after almost losing his ball when one down playing 18, said: “I played better than this morning but anything I did Sean did better. He didn’t let me in but I didn’t hole enough.”

Still suffering from a stomach upset after eating something earlier in the week which didn’t agree with him, added: “I’m disappointed but I don’t feel 100 per cent. This could have been my week but I’ve not holed out enough.”

Jordan Smith went the same way even though Jack Cardy needed an extra hole to make the quarter finals despite trailing two down with four to play.

The English Amateur was played in its inaugural
year of 1925 at Hoylake when local golfer T
Froes Ellison captured the title. He successfully
defended the following year at Walton
Heath, a feat achieved by only six others: Frank
Pennink, Alan Thirlwell, Michael Bonallack, Harry
Ashby, Mark Foster, and Paul Casey. Sir Nick
Faldo is the most famous to have won the event
as the six-time major champion won the 1975
tournament at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

The tournament consists of two stroke
play rounds, after which the top 64 players
will advance to the match
play rounds, culminating in a 36-hole final
between two finalists.